Lara keen on return to county game

Last updated at 00:12 09 February 2007

Brian Lara could be set for a return to county cricket this summer after an absence of nine years. The leading run-scorer in Test cricket history enjoyed a phenomenal summer with Warwickshire in 1994, scoring a world record 501 not out against Durham, although his later ventures as captain proved less successful.

The veteran of 131 Tests has not played county cricket since 1998 but yesterday he made no secret of his desire to return after this summer’s West Indies tour of England.

The 37-year-old West Indies captain said: "With the flexibility now in county cricket with guys coming and going for international games there may well be an opportunity.

"I would love to come back to England at some point in time. It has been discussed and it’s a possibility. I’ll spend the first half of the summer in England with the West Indies cricket team and then there are a few more one-day events around the world.

"It has been discussed in house by my management team so the feelers could well be going out soon." According to Lara, the World Cup in the West Indies, starting on March 5, will be the perfect time for him to bow out of one-day international cricket, although he hopes to continue his Test career for another "15 or 20 Tests".

He said: "I am 10 games away from my 300th one-day international and 10 games would take us to the semi-finals of the World Cup. "It would be a wonderful platform to leave one-day cricket. A World Cup in the Caribbean - I couldn’t ask for any more."